A pigtailed scotchcast assembly is utilized in those fields requiring either pre- or post-inspection of extended cavities, ducts or piping, such as but not limited to the sewer pipe relining industry. In such fields, it is typically necessary to inspect the condition of an extended cavity through the use of a plurality of electrical components. Cameras, lights, cutters and other components are utilized for this purpose and must each be supplied with electrical power to operate. As these cavities are either too confining, unsafe or otherwise unaccommodating for a human presence, the movement of electrical components along the length of any given cavity must be performed by mechanical means. A pigtailed scotchcast assembly is therefore enlisted to provide electrical power to the various components utilized, while also assisting in pulling such components and their associated electrical wiring through the cavity itself.
As is currently known and depicted in prior art FIG. 1, a typical pigtailed scotchcast assembly 10 is comprised of a scotchcast 12 having an electrical cable 14 entering one end thereof and a plurality of pigtails 16 exiting the opposing end of the scotchcast 12. The scotchcast 12 includes a pair of wings 18 each having an anchor hole 20 formed therein for dragging or pulling the pigtailed scotchcast assembly 10 along a cavity or piping. The electrical cable 14 is separated into differing bundles of conductors inside the body of the scotchcast 12 and subsequently emerges from the scotchcast 12 as pigtails 16. The interior of the scotchcast 12 is filled with a resin and catalyst compound which, when sufficiently dried and cured over time, provides a water-tight sealant to the scotchcast 12 and the wire bundles therein.
As will be readily appreciated, when the pigtailed scotchcast assembly 10 is dragged or pulled through many cavities or pipes, the pigtails 16, including the protective sheathing covering the pigtails 16, tend to wear and become tattered, leading to operational failure of the supported electrical components. In these instances, inspection of the cavity or piping must be halted while the entire scotchcast assembly 10 is severed from the electrical cable 14 and another assembly attached in its place. This method is time-consuming, costly, requires expertise in electronics and must frequently accommodate the recommended 12-hour time period that a typical insulating and waterproofing resin and catalyst compound requires to cure.
With the foregoing problems and concerns in mind, it would therefore be advantageous to develop a pigtailed scotchcast assembly, which overcomes the above-described drawbacks, thereby accommodating an exchange or replacement of pigtails quickly and efficiently without the need to replace the scotchcast or splice the electrical cable.